Early Bird Review: Murmuration

About the Book:In the small mountain town of Amorea, it’s stretching toward autumn of 1954. The memories of a world at war are fading in the face of a prosperous future. Doors are left unlocked at night, and neighbors are always there to give each other a helping hand.

The people here know certain things as fact:

Amorea is the best little town there is.

The only good Commie is a dead Commie.

The Women’s Club of Amorea runs the town with an immaculately gloved fist.

And bookstore owner Mike Frazier loves that boy down at the diner, Sean Mellgard. Why they haven’t gotten their acts together is anybody’s guess. It may be the world’s longest courtship, but no one can deny the way they look at each other.

Slow and steady wins the race, or so they say.

But something’s wrong with Mike. He hears voices in his house late at night. There are shadows crawling along the walls, and great clouds of birds overhead that only he can see.

Something’s happening in Amorea. And Mike will do whatever he can to keep the man he loves.

I tried really hard to find a gif that would suit my feelings on this book because, even though I rarely use them, I thought it was the perfect review for one of those brain exploding pictures. My mind was absolutely blown, but it wasn’t just blown. I was mindf*cked, but in a really good way. Frankly none of them hit the nail on the head. None of the images reflected my feelings on Murmuration’s crazy goodness.

I don’t want to talk about Murmuration’s plot, because I don’t want to accidentally give anything away. If you give it a shot, know that it’s a different ride. It has more of a twin peaks type feel, so it was really really good but strange. It’s the kind of book that, even if you do figure out part of what’s going on (like I did), you’ll still enjoy reading through the end. No, it wasn’t a traditional romance novel. I see that some people weren’t too excited about that, but I actually welcomed it. I loved the way the story ended. It was just as I wanted it. It was perfect.

Anyway, before I give something away, lets change the subject and talk about TJ Klune’s writing. I don’t think I’ve read another author who seamlessly writes so many different styles. If you look at his backlog of books you’ll see everything from romantic comedy, to Dystopia, to Sci-Fi, to UF. He doesn’t let boundaries hold him back from writing his story and I love that.

What I did realize while reading is, as much as I have loved a few of his comedies, I think I like his serious books the most. I love his use of repetition to build anticipation. I love how his couples have their own little couple quirks. (In this book it was Mike and Sean’s ‘Yeah’.)

The bottom line is, while my ratings have ranged from 3 stars to 5, TJ Klune will never leave my favorite author list and that’s due, in part, to his range. (It’s also his humor, and his talent.) I never know where he’s going to take me, and I never care. Murmuration was no exception.

Thanks you to Dreamspinner Press for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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About Birdie

Don’t look for her in any bar, club, crazy raging party, or anywhere there may be a large gathering of strangers. She’s more likely to be found tucked into the corner of the couch watching one of her favorite shows, or preferably under a comforter with her current novel.

It is such a relief. Knowing that the odds are good you’re going to love a book when you pick it up is one of the best feelings. I almost look forward more to book releases by beloved authors than I do any holiday!